Telegraph-key



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. H. GRGGKETT & L-. 0; DEDRIGK.

Y TELEGRAPH KEY.

No. 438,530. Patented Oct. 14; 1890.

127V 8 a [/VVEJVZ'OQ flmrZealZOmciaez Z Law? Q Dedrm .zilltormy NITEDSTATES CHARLES H. OROOKETT AND LANSl NG O. DEDRIOK, OF SOHENEOTADY, NEWVYORK.

TELEGRAPH-KEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,530, dated October14, 1890.

Application filed April 2, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beitknown that we, CHARLES H. ORooKETr and LANSING O. DEDRICK, citizensof the United States of America, residing at Schenectady, in the countyof Schenectady and State of New York, have jointly invented a new anduseful Telegraph-Key, of which the following is specification.

Ourinvention relates to telegraph-keys used for indicating the signalsof telegraphic communication; and the object of our invention is toprovide improved means for transmitting telegraphic communications overtwo inclependent circuits at one time through a single key. This weaccomplish by the constructions and arrangement of the elementsdescribed hereinafter, and which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

Our invention consists in the non-conduct-- ing base-plate, thenon-conducting key with the conducting elements fixed thereto, and

the particular arrangement of the circuits in combination with the otherelements, as will be fully described, as particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of ourim provedtelegraph-key. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detailof the key-lever, showing it from the under side. Fig. 4 is a plan viewof the non-conducting base. Fig. 5 is a detail of the switch-levers.

A designates a non-conducting base plate or frame made of anon-conducting composition and of suchshape as to adapt it for thepurpose of having the means for securing it to a support and to adapt itfor the purpose of carrying our improved means for operating twoindependent lines at the same time. On the non-conducting base-frame aresecured two conducting-plates 2 3, oppositely arranged, through whichthe independent currents are made, as hereinafter fully specified. Theseconducting-plates 2 and 3 have projected from them vertical studs orstandards 4 5, provided with bearing-screws 6 7, as usual, and projecteddownward from them through the non-conducting material arefasteningscrews 8 9, by which the frame, in connection with similarscrews hereinafter described, is

Serial No. 346,362. (No model.)

secured to the table or other proper support. At the front end of theframe is a screw 10, and on the frame over the screw is the anvil 11,insulated, as usual, by an insulating-washer 12, and in connection withthe anvil 11 is the circuit-making leaf 13. On the plate 3 is pivotedthe circuit-closing switch 14, which may be moved in and out of contactwith the leaf 13 to make and break the circuit. On the screw 10 arebinding-nuts, as shown, holding the wire in connection with the battery,and on the screw 9 are binding-nuts holding the Wire leading to the linethrough the receiving-instrument.

B designates the key-lever, held in normal position by a spring 15 andadjusting-screw 16. On the under face of the key-lever is secured ametallic conducting plate (copper) 17, having connection with the lineand battery through the wire 18, connected to the plate 17, and standard5, and contact-point 19, to impinge on the point of the anvil. Thecontinuity of this circuit is made by the switch, as usual.

The circuit made by the foregoing-described arrangement of elements isaccomplished through battery-post 9, contacts on key-lever plate 17,wire 18, and standard 5 and screw 10 to line, and except in theinterposition of the non-conducting keylever and conductingplate thereonis the same as now used in the Well-known single-current Morse key.

Our invention heretoforespecified has for its object the adaptation of asingle key-lever to the purpose of transmitting duplicate sig nals overdifferent lines without interfering or disturbing its usefulness as asingle-current-transmitting signal, and we now proceed to describe themeans for accomplishing this.

' On the under face of the non-conducting keylever is secured a metallicconducting-plate 20, extendingunder theinnerend of the key-lever, asshown, and electrically separated from the conducting-plate of the othercircuit, as shown.

. Both of the conducting-plates are carried outward on thesupporting-arms of the key-lever, and struck up over the ends andprovided with pivotal points centered in the bearingscrews, forming thepoints on which the keylever is pivoted. On the upper face of thekey-lever at its inner end is a contact-piece 21, which contacts with asimilar point 22, in the end of the adj usting-screw 23, in theoverhanging arm 24 of the standard 25, having a screw 26, projectingdown through the baseframe and connected to the battery of this circuit.The standard also has an arm 27, extending toward the middle of thebase-frame, on which contacts a screw 28, let through the key-lever. Thestandard 4, through its depending screw is connected to line by means ofthe wire and clamping-nuts, and the circuit from battery to line iscompleted through the wire 29, connected at its ends to the stand- .ard4 and conducting-plate 20. On the conducting-plate 2 is pivoted acircuit-closing switch 30, the inner end of which engages with the endof the arm 27, to make the-circuit continuous, when desired. Thisindependent circuit, as indicated, is made from battery to screw andstandard, through plate on key to post and line, and is entirely freeand independent from the other circuit, yet one of the circuits throughthe adjustments of the contacts may be used without the other, or bothmay be used at the same time. If it is desired to dispense with theadditional circuit directly above described, the contact-screw on theends of the lever is screwed up out of reach of the point below and theobject is accomplished. By forming the key-lever of a non-conductingmaterial having the conducting-plates secured thereto, the lever doesnot in itself constitute the medium of the current, since that passes onthe conducting-plates on the lever, so that the lever maybe manipulatedwithout the least danger. The manual operation of the apparatus isidentical with this of the single-circuit-key in use, and since theelectrical operation has necessarily been explained in the specificationthat need not be here repeated. Having thus described our invention,what we claim is- 1. In a telegraph-key, the combination of anon-conducting base-frame, oppositely-arranged bearing-posts on theframe having connections to independent lines, a key-lever made ofnon-conducting material pivoted between bearing-posts and provided withconducting-plates on its under side separated 'from each other andhaving independent c011- nections to opposite bearing-posts through thepivots of the lever, and oppositely-arranged contactpoints on the leverand baseframe having connections with independent batteries, wherebyduplicate signals may be transmitted over two lines by a single key, asspecified.

2. The combination, with the non-conducting base-frame and a key-leverof non-conducting material, of the line-standard 5, withfastening-screw, the battery-screw 10, with anvil, the conducting-plate17 on the nonconducting key-lever having a contact-point constituting acomplete circuit, and the linestandard 4, with fastening-screw, thebatteryconnection standard 25, and the conductingplate 20 011 thekey-lever having a contactpoint constituting an independent circuit,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. In a telegraph-key, the combination, with a non-conducting base, oftwo independent line-standards, a key-lever of non-conductin g materialpivoted between the standards, independent battery -posts havingcontactpoints, and electrically-separated conductingplates on the undersurface of the key-lever having contact-points to engage the contactpoints of the independent battery-connections and in electric connectionwith the respective line-standards, whereby two mes sages aretransmitted through the medium of a single key, as specified.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of twoattesting witncsscs.

CHARLES H. CROCKETT. LANSING C. DEDRIOK. \Vitnesses:

WM. H. YOUNG, F. BUscI-IMANN.

